A Court of Fear and Longing

Chapter 11

Warning: This chapter may not perfectly follow other things we know to be true about these two different worlds. Please just follow along with it. I may have slightly changed the past to fit the plot line. 

Aelin was still exhausted. She'd been up since two with Amren, who was attempting to put the Book of Breathings and the Walking Dead together. Not that she would have been asleep had she been at home. 

Home. That's what she had begun to call this place. Terrasen seemed a world away now. Another life. Maybe it had been. 

It was six and a half months since the fire breathing queen had failed her people, her family, and her mate. What where they doing now? Where they all dead by Erawan's hands? Or was it Maeve who had finally meant the end of them? 

Aelin didn't usually let those thoughts cloud her mind, so she decided to engage the terrifying yet small creature in front of her in conversation. Easier thought than done. 

"So, where do you come from?" 

Amren looked up, the look on her face saying everything. She wasn't in the mood. Aelin was going to let it drop, but she answered. 

"A world filled with demons and evil. Evil like you've never seen." 

Aelin leaned forward. "Try me. I've seen demons before. And, if my suspicions are correct, I've had one torture me for information, and exploit my weaknesses to get me to bow before her." 

"Sounds like some people I used to know personally." Amren muttered. "Fine," She said looking up. "I could use a break. Ask me anything." 

Aelin started easy. "Any siblings?" 

"One," was the only answer given. 

"This sibling have a name?"

Aelin's companion sighed. "She goes by many names, but the one she liked most was Maeve."  

Aelin was stunned. "Maeve as in... The evil Fae queen who tortured me for the wyrdkeys and my obedience to her throne Maeve? Maeve who killed my mate's pregnant wife, then had him swear loyalty to her until I came along?" 

Amren didn't seem at all surprised Aelin knew her demon sister. "That's her." 

Aelin sat back. "Do you by any chance know a demon by the name of Erawan?" 

Amren rolled her eyes. "Is that useless excuse for a demon attempting to conquer worlds again? He's such a drama queen." 

Aelin blinked at such a description of the demon king. "I take it you do know him then?" 

Amren snorted. "He only tried five pathetic attempts to get me to marry him before he finally took the hint and went after my sister. At least his brothers had respect for their betters."

Aelin could only stare. "So you're telling me the demons who want to take over our world are in fact, less powerful than you?" 

"Were." the demon corrected her. "I'm just a normal fae now." She said fae with disgust. "I never did have much interest conquering lesser worlds. Why do it when I already have so much power? I gave my subjects free reign over those choices to keep them happy." 

Aelin was still stunned. "If you're a demon queen, aren't you equal in power to at least your sister?" 

Amren shook her head. "I'm not a demon queen. I'm a demon empress. The highest of Demon nobility."